Cougars To Take Part In All-New Wooden Legacy Event In Anaheim

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The field has been finalized for the Wooden Legacy, an all-new multi-team collegiate basketball tournament, which will include the College of Charleston men’s basketball team as tournament play is set for Nov. 28-Dec. 1, 2013, in Anaheim, Calif.

A four-year agreement was announced on Tuesday by representatives from ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, along with officials from the Honda Center, UCLA, the Wooden family, Cal State Fullerton and the Big West Conference.

The tournament was formed as two vibrant, nationally-recognized in-season collegiate basketball events join forces. The former John R. Wooden Classic will combine with the Anaheim Classic, the eight-team, three-day, 12-game bracketed event that has been staged the past six years in Anaheim.

"We’re delighted to honor our father and his passion for the game of basketball through this new and exciting event,” said Jim and Nan Wooden, son and daughter of the legendary coach. “For the past 20 years we have done tremendous work for local charities, while celebrating his philosophies and are certain the establishment of the Wooden Legacy will only enhance these efforts.”

With the expansion, the 2013 Wooden Legacy will be held at two sites. The opening two rounds will be played at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 in Fullerton, Calif. The games then move to the Honda Center with four placement contests including the championship game between the remaining unbeaten schools on Sunday, Dec. 1 in Anaheim. The 12 games will air across the ESPN networks.

Institutions from eight different leagues will be competing in this year’s Wooden Legacy led by 2013 NCAA Tournament participants Creighton (Missouri Valley, 28-8), Marquette (BIG EAST, 26-9), Miami (Fla.) (ACC, 29-7) and San Diego State (Mountain West, 23-11). Creighton and Miami both captured their league’s regular-season and post-season tournament titles.

The Big West Conference will serve as the host conference for the event. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the event website at: www.TheWoodenLegacy.com or via Twitter at @TheWoodenLegacy. Bracket pairings and tip-off times will be released later this summer. Ticket sale information for all three days of the tournament will be released in the coming weeks.

While the Anaheim Classic started in 2007, the John R. Wooden Classic was established in 1994 as an annual tribute to the legendary coach (who passed away in 2010 at the age of 99) and the excellence he personified. Wooden had an 885-203 overall career record (81.3 percent) for 11 seasons as a high school coach and 29 seasons as a college mentor.

Like the Anaheim Classic, the John R. Wooden Classic had a tradition of bringing the nation’s finest college programs to Southern California for a one-day event. The first 17 John R. Wooden Classic tournaments featured a doubleheader. The 2011 and 2012 classics had Wooden’s UCLA team hosting a league and in-state rival in a one-game event.